The Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) is a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

founded in 1980 and based in

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

, Hawaii, that conducts whale research and educates the public in an effort to save vulnerable species of whales from extinction. As of 2012 the organization had about 150 employees. Since its foundation the PWF has been working to prevent destruction of populations of

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...

s, dolphins, turtles and coral reefs in Hawaii. Every year the PWF organizes a "Great Whale Count" where volunteers systematically gather data on whales that can be seen from ten observation points along the southern shore of Maui, giving a series of snapshots that indicate changes in whale populations. The Pacific Whale Foundation provided funding to the Alfaguara project on Isla de Chiloé in southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

for marine surveys of the local

blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known ever to have existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...

population in the 2012 season. The PWF also has a second home in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia.

References

{{reflist Whale conservation Cetaceans of the Pacific Ocean Animal charities based in the United States Environmental organizations based in Hawaii Environmental organizations established in 1980 1980 establishments in Hawaii 1980 establishments in the United States 501(c)(3) organizations